Title: Morgan Hazelwood's WRITING TIPS AND WRITERLY MUSINGS Morgan, a white brunette, looks worryingly at the camera. She's wearing a shirt that reads "Builder of Worlds" Title: Rejections Happen - Tips CapClave 2023 Image of girl hugging her knees, in front of water glimmering on the sea. Tagline: Thursdays since 2015

Rejections Happen – Tips from CapClave 2023

The life of a writer involves hearing many variations of the word “no.” Rejection comes with the territory but that … More

Introducing the Cozy Fantasy (#CapClave2023)

We’re entering the rise of the Cozy Fantasy! What exactly is that subgenre, and why is it becoming popular? Plus, theories about where it came from.

Morgan’s CapClave 2023 Roundup

This past weekend, I celebrated the end of September by heading to another writer convention: CapClave 2023. Held annually by the Washington DC Science Fiction Society (WSFS), its motto is “Where Reading is Not Extinct”.
I was on 4 panels, held a successful workshop, attended 4 panels, 1 concert, 1 book launch, and a reading.
Now, I recognize that I am privileged to have access to these sorts of events, and will be sharing my notes in the coming weeks. All in all, I had a lovely writer’s weekend. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. And I can’t wait to see them again.
Have you attended any writer conventions? Do you have a favorite?
If you haven’t, are there any you would attend if you had the opportunity?

Positive Speculative Fiction!

Many people are craving stories right now with gentle plots and hopeful themes to contrast the recent dystopic trends in publishing, media, and real-life dramas. So, what makes for positive science fiction and fantasy and what are some favorite examples of the brighter side of speculative fiction.

In Defense of the Standalone Novel

In a sea of book series, the standalone novel can be a breath of fresh air. What are the virtues of the standalone novel and what makes for a good one? Might there be a resurgence of the standalone novel in the near future?

Facing Mortality: Writing Death and Dying in Fiction

As the winter blues set in for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, above the tropics, I finally caught … More

Another Weekend, Another Convention to Panel

As September turned into October, I drove around the Beltway and attended my first CapClave — where reading is not extinct. I got to speak on 4 panels, attend 5 others, and talk shop with some great people.